Mattahunt Hoops Master Manual
BCYF Mattahunt Community Center
Pee Wee Basketball
7-Week Comprehensive Coach Manual (Ages 6-12)
Teen Coach Leadership Blueprint
Welcome Coach! As a high school leader (16-19), you are a role model. The kids at Mattahunt look up to you. Use your energy, voice, and basketball passion to make this a safe, positive, and growth-oriented program.
Voice & Presence
- Project: Project your voice from your chest—never yell in anger.
- Blow Whistle: 1 loud blow means "freeze, ball on hip, eyes on me."
- Model: Physically demonstrate every drill. Kids learn by watching.
Managing the Groups
- Group A (Ages 6-8): Needs fast-moving drills, high energy, and instant praise. Keep it play-based.
- Group B (Ages 9-12): Needs structured challenges, friendly competition, and detailed mechanical adjustments.
1. Keep Active
Avoid long lines. Keep balls moving and groups small.
2. 5:1 Positive Ratio
Give five encouraging call-outs for every one correction.
3. Safety First
Watch for loose balls, tied shoes, and heat/hydration.
Lead High School Coach Edition Page 1 of 8
Week 1 Curriculum
Ball Handling & Spatial Awareness
Focus Word Control
Session Plan (75 Minutes)
Theme: Building confidence and soft touch with both hands.
0:00–0:10 (10m) Welcome & Dynamic Warm-Up
Gather players in a circle. Introduce coaches. Rule of the day: Respect the whistle. Run a warm-up line: high knees, butt kicks, defensive slides across the baseline and back.
0:10–0:25 (15m) Skill Station: Pound Dribbling
Players stationary. Practice high dribbles (shoulder high), low dribbles (ankle high), and crossovers. Challenge: Count out loud while dribbling to force eyes up!
0:25–0:40 (15m) Dribble Tag & Shadow Play
In bounded half-court, everyone has a ball. Players must dribble continuously while trying to gently swipe away others' balls. Restarts are 5 finger-tip ball-slaps.
0:40–1:10 (30m) Red Light, Green Light / Minnows
Coaches act as "traffic cops" (Ages 6-8) or "sharks" (Ages 9-12). Players start at baseline. Dribble across court. If tagged or ball lost, 5 tuck-jumps to rejoin.
Coaching Cues
- "Finger pads, not palms!" Use fingertips for absolute ball control.
- "Sit in your chair!" Stay low in an athletic stance.
- "Eyes on my chest!" Keep chin up; never look at the ball.
Age Modifications
Ages 6-8 (Group A):
Let them catch with two hands between dribbles if needed. Keep the mood goofy, light, and encouraging.
Ages 9-12 (Group B):
Enforce one-handed dribbling. Add high-speed crossover requirements and active defense during tag.
Character Focus: Control
"Control means staying in charge of your body and your actions. If you drop the ball, retrieve it quietly and start again. Never throw it in frustration."
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Week 2 Curriculum
Passing Accuracy & Catching
Focus Word Connection
Session Plan (75 Minutes)
Theme: Crisp, on-target chest and bounce passing.
0:00–0:10 (10m) Welcome & Ball Handling Warm-up
Brief check-in on "Control". Quick warm-up: Dribbling around gym boundary lines. Coaches lead from front with changes of direction.
0:10–0:30 (20m) Skill Station: Chest & Bounce Basics
Form lines facing each other (8-10 feet apart). Practice chest passes, then bounce passes. Focus on: Stepping forward to pass, reaching and catching with "W" hands.
0:30–0:50 (20m) Target Passing Games
Coaches place cones as goals or stand in lines as mobile targets. Challenge: Teams must complete 15 consecutive passes within 60 seconds without a single drop.
0:50–1:10 (20m) 3-on-3 Keep Away (No Dribble)
Players are split into teams. The offense must move the ball downcourt ONLY by passing—no dribbling allowed. Defense plays passive shadow style to build success.
Coaching Cues
- "Thumbs down!" Thumbs should point down to floor on follow-through.
- "Make a 'W'!" Form a W with thumbs and forefingers to catch safely.
- "Step to your target!" Step with dominant foot toward receiver.
Age Modifications
Ages 6-8 (Group A):
Focus solely on accuracy. Allow them to use larger balls to make catching less intimidating. Soft balls if needed.
Ages 9-12 (Group B):
Incorporate "fake a pass to make a pass." Challenge them to make chest/bounce passes while moving at a jog.
Character: Connection
"A pass connects two people. A good passer takes responsibility for the receiver. Throw to their chest, not their feet, so they can succeed."
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Week 3 Curriculum
Footwork & Triple Threat
Focus Word Balance
Session Plan (75 Minutes)
Theme: Jump stops, pivoting, and starting positions.
0:00–0:10 (10m) Dynamic Jump Stop Warm-up
Players run/jog downcourt. On whistle, they execute a perfect 2-foot "jump stop" landing with feet wide, knees bent, yelled out: "Stop!"
0:10–0:30 (20m) Skill Station: Pivot & Sweep
Teach pivoting. Establish a "pivot foot" that is super-glued to the court. Players practice pivoting forward and backward on command without dragging their foot.
0:30–0:50 (20m) The "Triple Threat" Stance
Position: knees bent, ball held at hip, ready to shoot, pass, or dribble. Practice receiving a pass, landing in jump stop, and instantly entering triple threat.
0:50–1:10 (20m) Freeze Tag & Footwork Showdown
Classic freeze tag. When frozen, a player must hold a perfect triple-threat posture until a teammate crawls or dribbles through their legs.
Coaching Cues
- "Glue that heel!" Do not lift the pivot foot heel; keep it grounded.
- "Pocket the ball!" Keep the ball secure at your right or left hip.
- "Land on two!" Land both feet at once to avoid traveling.
Age Modifications
Ages 6-8 (Group A):
Don't be strict on traveling. Focus instead on the fun of landing "like a ninja" quietly on two feet.
Ages 9-12 (Group B):
Blow whistles on all foot-drags. Introduce ball-sweeping motions (rip-throughs) to secure the space.
Character: Balance
"Balance means being solid. A balanced player doesn't fall over easily. Keep your feet wide and your center of gravity low in sports and in life."
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Week 4 Curriculum
Layup Steps & Finishing
Focus Word Patience
Session Plan (75 Minutes)
Theme: Step-by-step coordination of the high-impact layup.
0:00–0:10 (10m) Warm-Up: High Knee Layup Skips
Instead of standard runs, have players skip downcourt raising their right knee and right hand together as if attached by a string (the layup string).
0:10–0:35 (25m) Skill Station: The 2-Step Approach
Coaches place two colored floor dots (or tape lines) near the basket. Step 1 (Right foot, long step), Step 2 (Left foot, short explosive jump upward), explode up!
0:35–0:55 (20m) Backboard Target Touch
Form lines at 45-degree angles to the hoop. Players take one dribble, step 1, step 2, and bounce the ball high off the top-right corner of the inner square.
0:55–1:10 (15m) Continuous Layup Lines
No defense. Split into a passing line and a shooting line. Pass, step-step-shoot, grab rebound, switch lines. High tempo with music if possible!
Coaching Cues
- "Puppet String!" Right hand and right knee go up together at the same time.
- "Aim for the corner!" Softly touch the top-right corner of the white box on the backboard.
- "Up, not out!" Jump high towards the ceiling, not far forwards.
Age Modifications
Ages 6-8 (Group A):
No dribbling beforehand. Have them start stationary at the tape dots and jump up to drop the ball in. Lower the hoop height if possible!
Ages 9-12 (Group B):
Perform layups from a full speed speed-dribble. Introduce left-handed layups on the left side of the hoop.
Character: Patience
"Layups take patience to time your steps right. Don't rush your shot. Slow down your feet so your hands can finish strong and smooth."
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Week 5 Curriculum
Shooting Form & Alignment
Focus Word Focus
Session Plan (75 Minutes)
Theme: Building a repeatable, high-accuracy shooting release.
0:00–0:10 (10m) Warm-Up & Finger Flexes
Dynamic stretches. Finger tip ball taps overhead, around waist, around ankles. Spin the ball in hands to find the seams of the basketball.
0:10–0:30 (20m) Skill Station: B.E.E.F. Mechanics
Have players sit on the court. Model shooting motion. Focus on B.E.E.F. details. Practice lying on back, shooting ball up and catching it with one hand.
0:30–0:55 (25m) Form Shooting (Close Range)
Stand 3 feet from the rim. No jumping allowed. Players must shoot clean high-arc shots focusing strictly on their form and high follow-through.
0:55–1:10 (15m) Around the World / Lightning
Conduct a shooting challenge. Place five colored spots around the key. Players shoot from spot 1. If made, move to spot 2. Keep the competition positive!
Coaching Cues
B - Balance: Feet shoulder-width.
E - Elbow: Under the ball in an "L".
E - Eye: Target the back of the rim.
F - Follow-Through: "Hand in cookie jar."
Age Modifications
Ages 6-8 (Group A):
Allow two-handed pushes. Focus entirely on pushing the ball high in an arc rather than perfect wrist-flicks.
Ages 9-12 (Group B):
Enforce clean guide-hand technique (it must not push the ball). Hold the follow-through until the ball touches the floor.
Character: Focus
"Focus means shutting out distractions. When shooting, block out the noise, look only at the target, and trust your practice."
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Week 6 Curriculum
Defense & Rebounding
Focus Word Hustle
Session Plan (75 Minutes)
Theme: Defensive stance, lateral shuffles, and boxing out.
0:00–0:10 (10m) Defensive Slide Mirror Warm-up
Players face coach in athletic stance. Coach moves left; players slide left. Coach moves right; players slide right. Hands up, active noise!
0:10–0:30 (20m) Skill Station: The "Box Out" Turn
Coaches teach how to turn your back, put your backside into the opponent's hips, and raise hands wide. Practice with soft tags.
0:30–0:55 (25m) Rebound War Game
Pairs stand around key. Coach shoots ball high off backboard. Players must actively box out and secure the ball high in the air. Clear vocalization: "BALL!"
0:55–1:10 (15m) Full-Court Transition Outlets
Simulate defensive stops. Rebounder secures ball, pivots instantly to baseline side, and makes a strong "outlet pass" to a sprinting guard.
Coaching Cues
- "Chop your feet!" Short, fast, choppy steps—never cross your feet.
- "Find 'em, box 'em!" Find opponent, turn, and sit back to seal them.
- "Chin the ball!" Grab the rebound and secure it under your chin with elbows out.
Age Modifications
Ages 6-8 (Group A):
Keep contact minimal. Play "Shadow Defense" where the defender must simply match the attacker's waist location.
Ages 9-12 (Group B):
Encourage light physical contact on box-outs. Enforce loud communication requirements ("Get back!", "Shot!").
Character: Hustle
"Hustle is giving 100% when nobody is watching. Diving for a loose ball or sprinting back on defense defines the character of a true athlete."
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Week 7 Finale
Championship Game Day
Focus Word Sportsmanship
Tournament Structure (75m)
Theme: Putting all learned skills to the test in a fun environment.
0:00–0:10 (10m) Pre-Game Dynamic Lineup
Coaches announce team assignments. Players design a team cheer. Quick physical warm-up (jumping jacks, form shots) to shake off nerves.
0:10–0:40 (30m) The Mattahunt Pee Wee Games
Run two cross-court games simultaneously. Group A (Ages 6-8) plays 3v3 with lower rims. Group B (Ages 9-12) plays 4v4 or 5v5 full court. Coaches referee.
0:40–1:05 (25m) Skills Challenge Finale
Relay Race! Teams must dribble through cones, make a bounce pass to a coach, catch an outlet pass, and make a layup/shot to finish. Fast, frantic, and supportive.
1:05–1:15 (10m) Awards & Reflection Ceremony
Distribute certificates. Gather everyone. Ask: "Who can share a teammate's action that showed great sportsmanship today?" High fives all around!
Game Management
- Keep it short: 8-minute running clock halves.
- Equal Playtime: Sub everyone every 4 minutes. No exceptions.
- Teach on Court: Stop the game briefly to explain a travel or double dribble, but keep it moving.
Special Rules
Group A (Ages 6-8):
No steals allowed directly from hands. Defenders must drop back past the three-point line on defense.
Group B (Ages 9-12):
Double passes required before any shot is taken. This forces ball movement and involvement.
Sportsmanship
"Sportsmanship is honoring the game. Respecting referees, shaking hands with opponents, and lifting up teammates when they make mistakes."
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